by Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD When it’s the season for browsing camp brochures, choosing travel teams, signing up for dance class and Tae Kwon Do, registering for swimming lessons, and picking a piano teacher, family life can get crazy. If we don’t prioritize “down time," we … [Read more...]
8 Ways to Be Strategic About Toys
by Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD Toys can be great ways to help kids learn, socialize, mimic the adult world, have fun, learn how to share, practice vocabulary and motor skills, and learn pre-academic skills. Here are 8 ways to sustain interest in toys and use them to overcome … [Read more...]
9 Presents that are all about Presence
by Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD Want to make this Christmas about something deeper than “more stuff?” Tired of fruit cake and monogrammed slippers? Want to purposefully embrace the holiday spirit of love, joy, kindness, and friendship? Here are 9 ideas for simple presents that are … [Read more...]
An Awesome Christmas Present for Young Kids
by Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD Want to give children something truly special for the holidays? Let them help you with your Christmas tasks. I will never forget the Christmas when I took my four-year-old son on the Polar Express train ride, to visit Santa at his local hangout, to … [Read more...]
Balancing Novelty and Routine With Young Children
by Erin Leyba, LCSW, PhD The right balance of novelty and routine can help us feel peaceful, content, and joyful. If we have too much novelty all at once, we can get overwhelmed, stressed out, or exhausted. We feel depleted by processing and adapting to so much of the new. … [Read more...]